Enlightened Society - Chögyam Trungpa
In an open forum, The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, (1939-1987) discusses a society guided by the principles of wisdom and compassion. He was a pioneer in bringing the Tibetan Buddhist teachings to North America, Europe and in 1976 introduced Shambhala.
Youtube
The Buddhist nun Tenzin Palmo (in Mackenzie, 1999) related her own experiences with the young Chögyam in England, upon their first meeting in 1962. There, in finding his attentive hands working their way up her skirt in the middle of afternoon tea and cucumber sandwiches, Trungpa received a stiletto heel to his sandaled holy feet. His later “smooth line” to her, in repeated attempts at seduction beyond that initial meeting/groping, included the claim that Palmo had “swept him off his monastic feet.” That, in spite of the fact that he “had women since [he] was thirteen,” and already had a son.
ReplyDeleteIn 1969 Chögyam experienced a tragic automobile accident which left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. The car had careened into a joke shop (seriously); Trungpa had been driving drunk at the time (Das, 1997), to the point of blacking out at the wheel (Trungpa, 1977).
I've known for quite some time that he was quite the drunk. ;)
ReplyDeletethe thing is looks, almost all the tibetian teachers who sent by H.H. 16th Karmapa could not deal with the westerner world and they drunk , had girlfriends etc. Some even turned against the Karmpa himself. The only honest teacher who dare to talk about this is Lama Ole Nydahl who is one of the best Dharma teacher in the West at the moment and Kunzig Shamarpa (who is the other lineage holder in the Karma Kagyu school with Karmapas).
ReplyDeleteLama Ole's book there are a lots of details for example from Trungpa... The biggest scandal in US is belong his "organisation". One of his main student had AIDS and he infected many people even Buddhists.. Since then it gave such a bad name for Tibetian Buddhism there. Maybe that is the reason why Karma Kagyu still small (but growing) in US when its huge in Europe.
Actually I was wondering why there is no any video or ebook from Lama Ole? He is one of the best who keep the teachings and also has a fresh westener view on the teachings.
don't forget, the first meeting between Marpa Lotsawa and MilaRepa took place over a barrel of strong barley beer! heavy drinking Kagyus are not unusual, (sexual promiscuity neither - think of machikma's life) maybe not suitable for puritain north America but no less holy for all that.
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